Lucifer and Ahriman's Tug of War

​About 25 years ago I found myself in my first Rudolf Steiner study group trying to understand Anthroposophy, the philosophical underpinnings of Waldorf Education and Biodynamic Agriculture. For me just learning how to pronounce Anthroposophy was hard, let alone my attempts at understanding this complex philosophy. I found myself disagreeing with much of the little bit I did understand but something held my attention and I continued my studies in the years that followed.

If I had to summarize the part of Anthroposophy that is important to me it would be that this is a philosophy that develops the ability to strive for true human freedom. This, of course, is just my opinion. If you were to ask someone else who is familiar with Anthroposophy they would probably have another opinion on a personal summary.

In Rudolf Steiner’s Philosophy of Freedom (now titled Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path) the reader is led along using a logical sequence through a certain philosophical concept (for example, Kant’s theory on knowledge expressed in the Critique of PureReason) then Rudolf Steiner proceeds to tear this concept apart also using logic. After several wash, rinse and repeat cycles I began to realize that any point of view could sound reasonable given the proper logic. Logic is what traps us into a certain way of thinking, thus preventing true human freedom. If indeed we are trapped when we develop our logical paths then how do we free ourselves from this inevitable entrapment?

I believe (through logic – see how difficult this is) there are two steps; the first is recognizing that there is a trap preventing this ‘freedom’. The second step is not so easy and can take a lifetime of striving, and if you believe in reincarnation, it can take many lifetimes to set out on this path. The path is one of observation with equanimity and continually assessing the beliefs that make up your personal foundation.When we consider great scientist such as Newton, Galileo, and Goethe, what is it that set them apart from the others? Why did they see things that other scientists could not see? The common thread to such people is that they had a rich imagination. Imagination frees us from the trap of logical thinking but it can also lead to images that are not based on reality. Through observation and experimentation imagination can manifest into reality.

This brings us to Rudolf Steiner’s version of the story of Lucifer and Ahriman which has relevance to today’s global events. (For a great summary read the five lectures by Rudolf Steiner; “The Influences of Lucifer and Ahriman – Human Responsibility for the Earth”, translated by D. S. Osmond, GA# 191 and 193 – 1919). This Earthly story began with the incarnation of Lucifer in Asia in the third millennium before the birth of Christ. Lucifer was responsible in bringing intellectual consciousness, wisdom and deep insights into the world’s processes. Before Lucifer these insights were brought about through revelations but now insights were brought about through the intellect. Instead of being separate, humanity was part of the Cosmos; part of the whole and through these insights paganism was born along with the development of the Mystery Centers. Out of this stream of consciousness Greek philosophy and art developed which ushered in the incarnation of Christ and the impulse of educating the intellect.

Ahriman is yet to incarnate sometime in the third millennium after the birth of Christ. What characterizes Ahriman is materialism. Where Lucifer wants humanity to come together as a whole, Ahriman wants humanity to be divided, increasing the desire for nationalism. In preparation for Ahriman’s incarnation mechanistic influences will spread throughout the world. Scientific thought will consider the cosmos and humans as complex machines which can be completely explained mathematically. Artistic and cultural life will exist if there is some useful quantitative outcome, not for a qualitative inner experience. In the time period before the appearance of Ahriman the mechanistic forces will increase and further develop scientific and technological feats, solidify dogmatic beliefs and divide the population. Through human cleverness and ingenuity, technology will solve many challenges that humanity will face. Ahrimanic forces bring many advances that can be utilized in the evolution of humankind, however, without the balance of Luciferic forces the increase in the number of challenges will outpace the advances made. Steiner indicates that through being aware, being conscious of Ahrimanic and Luciferic forces, destructive forces can be overcome and we can experience the benefits of both in the balance of the Christ impulse.

These forces are not so cut and dry and depend on many factors such as time, place, and awareness making it hard to overcome. For example, let’s consider Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin in 1793. This incredible invention freed up the labor of countless people in separating the seeds from the cotton and fueled the industry of the cotton mills that met the growing demand. The Southeast United States had ideal conditions to grow the amount of cotton to supply the growing cotton industry, however, slavery was used to grow and harvest the cotton. The northern states had outlawed slavery, however, still benefited economically by, in a sense, rationalizing and looking the other way. At some point, as history bears, slavery became an issue that could no longer be ignored and now today because of conscious awareness, our society no longer accepts slavery in our country. We overcame the Ahrimanic forces of dividing the population of slaves and non-slaves and looking back it is hard to imagine how slavery ever existed. Let’s fast forward to the present time, the time when technological advances have made it possible to receive information at the touch of a button, in fact at the touch of a few buttons I was able to gain the information needed to write this article. Over the internet I was able to read the Rudolf Steiner’s lectures and fill out my picture of Lucifer and Ahriman and also find the consequences of mining the cobalt needed for the lithium – ion batteries that power my technology. (Information on the consequences of cobalt mining are from two sources – The Washington Post, “The Environmental Impact of Cobalt Mining”, Feb. 28, 2018 – and – CBS News March, 2008). The mining process destroys the environment and quality of water affecting the lives of the people who live in these areas and do this work. Much of the cobalt is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the population lives in extreme poverty. Children, instead of going to school, work long hours only to bring home after the day’s labor the much needed dollar or two, institutionalizing a new kind of acceptable slavery. After all, no one actually owns these children; however, they have no other options. Our society is also trapped since most aspects of our lives are influenced by computers, from our food source and clothing, to our housing and transportation. We are forced to some degree to look the other way.

According to Steiner we can only avoid this trap and become free if we consciously become aware of our actions through a conscious balance of Luciferic and Ahrimanic forces. The scientific and technological innovators have to consult those with the spiritual wisdom and insights to gain the full picture of what is needed for forward movement, and those with the spiritual knowledge can find grounding in the scientific and technological advancements needed for our evolution. It usually always comes down to some sort of balance.​ Is this image real or just the case of a rich imagination? The placebo effect; is the sugar pill that cured the patient real or did the patient just imagine it to be the real medicine? It is up to us to imagine our future fate and make it manifest.